My thoughts on the Phillies season.

The Phils playoff hopes grow dimmer as they drop a pair to the Braves, losing 8-2 and 2-1.

The Phils drop a pair to the Braves, losing 8-2 and 2-1, as their playoff hopes grow dim with nine games left to play.

On Saturday, the Braves took the lead in the first as, with two men on, and with two men out, Freddie Freeman hits a three-run home run, his twenty-first home run of the season, knocking in Jason Heyward, who was safe at first on a force out, 5-4, wiping out at second base Martin Prado, who had earlier singled, then stopped at second base on Chipper Jones’ single, and Jones, who had just singled, giving the Braves a 3-0 lead. The Braves added to their lead in the second as, with the bases loaded, via a lead-off walk by Brian McCann, a single by Michael Bourn, with McCann stopping at second base, and a walk by Prado, with both runners moving up a base, and with two men out, Heyward hits a bases-clearing double, knocking in McCann, Bourn and Prado, giving the Braves a 6-0 lead. The Braves then took a 7-0 lead as Jones hits an RBI double, scoring Heyward. The Phils got a run back in the third as, with a man on third, and with nobody out, pinch-hitter Darin Ruf hits a sacrifice fly, his first career RBI, scoring Kevin Frandsen, who had started the inning off with a triple, making it a 7-1 Braves’ lead. The Phils then cut the Braves’ lead down to 7-2 in the fourth as, with one man out, Ryan Howard hits a solo home run, his fourteenth home run of the season, his fourth in four straight games, and the 300th of his career. The Braves got a run back in the eighth as, with a man on third, and with one man out, Heyward hits an RBI single, knocking in Bourn, who had started the inning off with a double, then stopped at third base on a Prado ground out, 1-3, giving the Braves an 8-2 lead. That would end up being the final score as Eric O’Flaherty pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Roy Halladay (10-8, 4.40) took the lost as he lasted only one and two-thirds innings, giving up seven runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out only three. Jeremy Horst pitched one and a third innings, giving up a hit, while striking out four. B.J. Rosenberg, Jake Diekman and Josh Lindblom combined for four scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Rosenberg) and five walks (Rosenberg (1), Diekman (4)) between them, while striking out three (Rosenberg (1), Diekman (2)). Justin De Fratus pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits, while striking out a batter. Phillippe Aumont threw a 1-2-3 inning. Mike Minor (10-10, 4.27) got the win as he pitched six innings, giving up two runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter, while striking out six. Chad Durbin, Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty combined for three scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Durbin) and a walk (Durbin) between them.

The Phils only had three hits in the game, a triple by Kevin Frandsen, a home run by Ryan Howard (RBI) and a single by Carlos Ruiz, as the offense was kept under control by the Braves’ pitching staff. The other Phil run came in on Darin Ruf’s sacrifice fly. The Phils also has two walks and a hit batter (Juan Pierre) in the game.

In yesterday’s game, the Braves took a quick 1-0 lead in the second as, with one man out, David Ross hits a solo home run, his eighth home run of the season. The Braves added to their lead in the third as, with the bases loaded, via singles by Reed Johnson and Prado, with Johnson stopping at second base, a throwing error by pitching Cliff Lee on a grounder hit by Heyward, allowing Johnson to reach third base and Prado to stop at second base, as Heyward was safe at first, and with one man out, Dan Uggla hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Johnson, making it a 2-0 Braves’ lead, while both runners would move up a base. The Phils would finally get on the scoreboard in the sixth as, with a man on third, and with one man out, Chase Utley hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had started the inning off with a walk, moving up to second base on pitcher Tim Hudson’s pickoff attempt throwing error, then went to third base on Juan Pierre’s sacrifice bunt, 1-3, making it a 2-1 Braves’ lead. That would end up being the final score as Craig Kimbrel picked up his thirty-ninth save of the year by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth.

Cliff Lee (6-8, 3.18) took the lost as he pitched eight innings, giving up two runs, only one of which was earned, on nine hits, as he struck out eleven. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two. Tim Hudson (16-6, 3.61) got the win as he went seven and a third innings, giving up an unearned run on two hits, a walk and a hit batter, while he struck out four. Eric O’Flahetry picked up his twenty-seventh hold of the season as he threw two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men whom he would face. Craig Kimbrel collected his thirty-ninth save of the season as he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out a batter.

The Phils had only two hits in the game, singles by John Mayberry, Jr. and Kevin Frandsen, as the offense was stymied for the second straight game. The Phils only RBI came in on a Chase Utley sacrifice fly. The Phils also had a walk and a hit batter (Utley) in the ballgame.

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